Hip Dysplasia

Because of Dexter's hip dysplasia, he has required operations.The first operation was more simple, a hip abduction, where his muscle was released.The second operation was much more complex. Dexter needed to have a femoral osteotomy.

What is hip dysplasia?Hip Dysplasia means that the bones of the hip joint are not aligned correctly. It affects thousands of children and adults each year and is known by many different names:

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH)

Hip Dislocation

Congenital Dislocation of the Hip (CDH)

Loose Hips

Hip Dysplasia prevents the hip joint from functioning properly and the joint wears out much faster than normal, much like a car’s tires will wear out faster when out of alignment. It is also a “silent” condition that means pain is not normally felt until much later stages, making it harder to detect.(Read more at hipdysplasia.org)

Unfortunately, even after the hip abduction surgery (and five weeks in a double cast) and the femoral osteotomy procedure, where Dexter's femur was cut, re-positioned and screwed into place, (and six weeks in a double brace), Dexter's leg is still turning in.And, his leg is now two centimetres shorter than his other leg.He is slowly regaining his strength and stamina. We were told he would be set back 18 months in his development.

We nearly lost Dexter, after this surgery. He had a very bad reaction to the pain medications.

For the week after the femoral osteotomy surgery, Dexter cried, almost constantly. This so unlike him, and just shows how painful the procedure was.Read our posts about these two surgical procedures: